“The significant problems we face can not be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.” Albert Einstein
I have posted a couple of new articles – Working Memory and The Dynamic Life of Long-Term Memory – as part of the “Tools For The Journey” section of the site. This is the start of what I expect will be a series of articles on how our minds work and how we communicate. (I am using “mind” in the broad sense that includes thought, perception, emotion, will, memory and imagination, and encompasses subconscious levels as well as conscious.)
What does this focus on cognitive psychology have to do with whole-system pathways to a thriving sustainable planetary future?
In The Core Challenge Of Our Times, I make the case that the unprecedented growth in population and the economy, both helped by major changes in technology, has taken humanity into a territory where our existing cultures are no longer in sync with the on-the-ground reality of our daily lives. With the momentum in population, the economy and technology moving us even further away from the roots of our existing cultures, we need our cultures to change and adapt more effectively and quickly than they have so far.
Here’s the connection to our minds:
- Cultural change is based in learning
- Learning depends on our how our minds work and how we communicate
- A deeper understanding of mind and communications can lead to more effective learning and the necessary new “level of thinking.”
Here’s the same story in a bit more detail as a flow chart, showing how a fresh understanding about mind and communications fits into the bigger picture:
Do take a look at Working Memory and The Dynamic Life of Long-Term Memory. The ideas in these articles are part of the foundational understanding we need to move gracefully towards a thriving sustainable planetary future.
